OFFICER FROM THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WHO TURNED >>> ACROSS THE COUNTRY RIGHT
NOW, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
IS CREATING UNCONVENTION AM
SPACES INTO TEMPORARY FIELD
HOSPITALS TO MEET WHAT COULD BE
A SURGE IN DEMAND.
ONE OF THOSE SURGES IS THE MIAMI
BEACH CONVENTION CENTER.
>> LIEUTENANT TODD POLK IS THE
SENIOR MANAGER FOR THE RESPONSE
PROJECTS AND HE JOINS US NOW
FROM MIAMI BEACH.
COLONEL, GOOD AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR.
IT’S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE AND
TALK WITH YOU AND YOUR VIEWERS
TODAY.
>> GREAT.
BRING US UP TO SPEED.
HOW IS THIS UNBELIEVABLE PROJECT
OF TURNING THE HUGE MIAMI BEACH
CONVENTION CENTER INTO A 450-BED
HOSPITAL?
>> WE RECEIVED THIS MISSION BACK
ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF MARCH.
WE WERE TOLD TO GO AHEAD AND
BEGIN ASSESSING THE FACILITIES
IN THE MIAMI AREA, AT ABOUT --
THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL, JUST
BEFORE APRIL KICKED OFF.
WE WERE HANDED THIS MISSION TO
GET STARTED AND -- AND HAPPY TO
REPORT THAT WE RECEIVED THE
FACILITY LAST NIGHT AS FAR AS
COMPLETED.
ABOUT 1:00 WE’RE GOING TO HAND
IT OVER TO THE STATE SO THEY CAN
BEGIN OPERATIONS AND PLANNING
TO, UNFORTUNATELY, RECEIVE
PATIENTS AS REQUIRED.
I THINK THE BEST THING WE’RE
ABLE TO HELP.
HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE FLEXIBILITY
TO THE HOSPITALS AS THEY ARE
PROVIDERS AND EVERYONE TRIES TO
TREAT THESE COVID-19 PATIENTS.
>> LIEUTENANT COLONEL, IT’S SO
SURREAL TO BE LOOKING AT THIS OF
WHERE THINGS LIKE -- WITH THIS
NOW.
THE PROJECTIONS HAVE SCALED BACK
NOW AND IF YOU BELIEVE THEM,
WE’RE PAST THE PEAK.
DOES THAT ALTER YOUR WORK AT
ALL?
ARE YOU BREATHING ANY TYPE OF
SIGH OF RELIEF?
>> REALLY, MA’AM, WE’RE HAPPY TO
HAVE THIS COMPLETED AND BE ABLE
TO HANDLE THIS OVER TO THE STATE
AND HAVE THE STATE AND NATIONAL
GUARD UTILIZE THIS FACILITY AS
THEY SEE FIT.
THE SIGH OF RELIEF, WE WERE ABLE
TO GET EVERYTHING DONE TO THE
BEST OF OUR ABILITY ON SUCH A
SHORT TIME LINE.
I THINK WE’RE GOING TO MEET THE
STATE’S NEEDS AND RELIEF
REQUIREMENT.
S.
REQUIREMENT. S. OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO EVERYONE
AFFECTED AND THE LOSS OF LIFE
FROM THIS VIRUS.
WE.
WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW WE’RE WITH
THEM AND PART OF THE COMMUNITY
AND WE’VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT
WE REALLY CAN AS WELL AS ALL OF
THE COMMUNITY AND CONTRACTING
AND THE PHENOMENAL WORK THAT’S
BEEN DONE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IN
SUCH A SHORT TIME.
450 BEDS.
50 OF THESE WILL BE -- THEY WILL
BE CONSIDERED ISOLATION PODS
FOR --
>> SOME OF THE CORD -- SOME OF
THE COVID-19 PATIENTS WILL GO IN
THOSE PODS, IT SOUNDS LIKE,
BECAUSE SOME ARE DEDICATED FOR
PEOPLE COMING FROM HOSPITALS
THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE
DISCHARGED WITH OTHER AILMENTS
TO MAKE ROOM IN THE HOSPITALS.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS
PARTICULAR FIELD HOSPITAL HAS
ISOLATION PODS FOR COVID-19
PATIENTS THEMSELVES.
>> WE DO, MA’AM.
AND OUR UNDERSTANDING WAS FOR
THIS TO BE AN ENTIRE COVID-19
FACILITY, A HOT ZONE.
THAT MAY BE AMBULATORY,
RECOVERING.
50 PODS, THEY ARE ABOUT 15 x
15 SPACE WHERE WE CAN HOOK UP
TWO PATIENTS TO A VENTILATOR IF
NECESSARY.
I THINK -- THE KEY IS, WE’RE
PROVIDING THE FLEXIBILITY TO THE
STATE AND ALL OF OUR MEDICAL
PROVIDERS AND THAT WE HAVE THIS
ON HAND TO UTILIZE AND BACK TO
THE PEAK, IT’S ALLOWING US THEM
TO PREPARE AND GET SET.
OUR OPINION IT’S BETTER TO HAVE
THIS ON HAND AND NOT NEED IT,
THAN REALLY NEED IT DOWN THE
ROAD AND NOT HAVING SOMETHING TO
TURN TO.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE WOULD RATHER HAVE IT
AVAILABLE.
VERY BRIEFLY, EXPLAIN TO US,
THERE WAS A CONTRACT FOR ABOUT
$22 MILLION TO DO THIS WORK.
DID THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
REALLY DRAW THE PLANS UP AND UP
WORKED WITH THE CONTRACTOR TO
ACCOMPLISH THE CONVERSION?
>> THAT’S CORRECT, SIR.
WE DID A DESIGN BILL.
IN THIS INSTANCE, A CONTRACT
WHERE WE KIND OF BUILT THE
AIRPLANE AS WE WERE IN FLIGHT.
YES, OUR TEAM IN JACKSONVILLE
FROM OUR ENGINEERING DESIGN
PEOPLE, WE HAD -- BEGAN WITH THE
INITIAL DESIGN.
GAVE US THE CONTRACT.
THIS WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT.
THEY TOOK IT, RAN WITH IT AND --
ACTUALLY, THE EARLY PHASES IN
THE FIRST COUPLE DAYS OF
CONSTRUCTION WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT FOUR TIMES A DAY AND DOING
MOD MODIFICATION.
WE HAVE OVER FIVE MILES OF
12,500 OXYGEN FLOWING.
>> IT’S A VERY COMPLEX
OPERATION.
THANK YOU, THE CORPS OF
ENGINEERS.
COLONEL, POLK, THANK YOU FOR THE
WORK YOU AND YOUR MEN ARE
DOING.
>> AND WOMEN.